TRIALS IN RUSSIA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 30, 5 February 1935, Page 12

TRIALS IN RUSSIA

ALLEGED CONFESSIONS. V ALUE QUESTIONABLE. LONDON, Jan. 17. The unreality of alleged confession? In connection with the Kirov murdei trials is emphasised by the Riga correspondent of the times. He instance? the alleged self-castigation of Yevdo kimoff. one of those charged with complicity. Yevdokimoff was reported to have naid: —“The workers’ conditions were becoming worse. Socialisation was artificial and overstrained, and l.’kely to turn the workers into anti-Com-munists. “We launched malicious insinuations against Stalin, we were no better than foreign scum. We hoped for a crash in which wc would be stewed in our own juice, and wc poisoned our associates’ minds. “I am most certainly guilty. Our inti-party activities for 1(1 years contributed to and abetted Kirov’s murder We must take the consequences, but I rejoice to have confessed and repented.” The correspondent states that such confessions are essential to party trial? in Russia and their value, with out knowledge of how they are ob tained, is always questionable. He points out that the Soviet Press reports Zinovieff as having said.- ‘‘lt is horrible to be placed on the same level an murderers and brigands.”